


Still Waters Run Deep

by SonicaSpeed123



Series: SatBK Mini Fics [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Character Study, Drowning, Emotional Hurt, Family, Heart-to-Heart, King Sonic, Lance is a family man no one can tell me otherwise, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Sonic and the Black Knight, this was supposed to end in romance but it just kinda ended up being about lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29745810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicaSpeed123/pseuds/SonicaSpeed123
Summary: After Lancelot saves Sonic from drowning, they have a long conversation on the way back to the castle.Sonic hates being seen as a king, and Lance misses his mother.
Relationships: Galahad & Lancelot (Sonic and the Black Knight), Lancelot & Nimue (Sonic and the Black Knight), Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog & Lancelot (Sonic and the Black Knight)
Series: SatBK Mini Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2186283
Comments: 5
Kudos: 53





	Still Waters Run Deep

Lancelot stood at the bank of the river that ran through the stretch of forest behind the castle, watching the reflection of the moon waver across the water’s flowing surface. Slowly, deliberately, the knight removed his armor and set it, along with Arondight, away from the reach of the current. As adept a swimmer as he was, he still did not want those items to be swept downriver. He’d be diving for them all night.

He waded into the water, the current slowing around him, calming at his presence. The chill would cause a lesser man to shiver, especially in the night, but Lancelot was unaffected. He had always been safe in the waters of Camelot- being raised by a water deity had manifold benefits.

He bathed himself, and drank in the moonlight. Silently, he thanked his mother again for everything she had done for him.

He floated on his back, closing his eyes and letting the cold water carry the stresses of his day away. He let his thoughts drift to the memory of the place that would always be his home- the lake.

How he missed those waters. His mother. She was the only reason he was even alive, and yet he had barely seen her since he became a knight. How lonely she must be, with her son so far away and her curse keeping her bound to that lake. The guilt sat heavy in his chest, and he let out the breath that kept him afloat. He sank below the surface of the water, shaming himself for failing to keep in touch with the one he was most grateful to.

He drank water into his lungs, adjusting to breathing underwater again. There was a brief burning in his chest before he could breathe easily. He opened his eyes, admiring the colors dancing on the rippling surface above him. He reached up, his fingertips touching through the veil between the world of water and the world of air. He moved his hand, sending ripples through the liquid glass.

Just as serenity returned, he heard something crash into the water near the bank of the river. He turned to see a flash of blue and red getting swept downriver, and panic pulsed through him.

He took a deep breath and swam after them, and the water bent itself around him to push him forward. He dodged fallen branches and boulders, weaving through them with the grace of the merfolk.

The drowning person wasn’t so lucky- or perhaps they were  _ incredibly  _ lucky. The red fabric they wore caught on a branch, stopping them from being pulled further away. Lancelot quickly caught up and pulled them out of danger, throwing the two of them onto the riverbank.

Lancelot took several seconds to clear his lungs so that he could breathe air properly again. When he was finished coughing, he checked on the person he’d pulled from the rapids-

“-Sonic?!”

The newly appointed king was still gasping for breath, but he held up a hand to acknowledge Lancelot. Soon, he was able to speak.

“Thanks for the save, I guess? I was trying to save  _ you,  _ but that worked too!”

“Save  _ me?  _ From  _ what?” _

“Oh, I don’t know,  _ drowning?” _

Lancelot looked at him, bewildered. He took a breath to compose himself before responding, not wanting to lash out against the king.

“...I wasn’t drowning. I can breathe underwater, Sire.”

Sonic blinked. “Oh.” Then, he laughed heartily, shaking from the force of it. “Wish I knew that before throwing myself into the river!”

When Sonic finished laughing, he began shivering under the drenched cape.

“H-How the heck do you breathe underwater?”

“You’re cold.” He stated the obvious before offering his hand to Sonic to help him up. “Let’s get you back to the castle.”

The king frowned a bit before taking Lancelot’s hand. Without another word, the knight turned upriver and started walking towards where he left his armor and sword.

Sonic trailed behind, trying to warm himself by wrapping his cape around him, but that only served to make him  _ more  _ cold. He huffed, removing the cape and wrapping it into a ball to carry.

Lancelot appeared horrified by this, snatching it out of his hands and unraveling it.

“-My lord, this cape is- You can’t just-!”

“...Lance, it’s torn. You’re just gonna throw it out later, anyways.”

“-It’s a symbol of your power, it must be treated with respect.”

Sonic rolled his eyes. “If you insist.” He stopped walking for a second to shake the water from his quills like a dog. “You can carry it, if you like it so much.”

Lancelot folded the soaked fabric before realizing something.

“Your crown.”

“Hm?”

“It’s missing. It’s downriver, isn’t it?” Panic edged into his tone.

Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

“Lance. It’s fine, it doesn’t matter. It’s a hunk of metal. We can get a new one if we need to.”

What insanity.

Sonic continued forward, no longer shivering since he wasn’t drenched anymore. Lancelot followed, deciding to let it go. Technically, he was correct. He supposed a new crown could be forged.

The knight immediately noticed how much more comfortable Sonic seemed without his royal garb. He walked casually, hands behind his head, whistling an unfamiliar tune.

Soon, they reached Lancelot’s discarded armor. They paused while he put it back on.

“What possessed you to try and save me?” The curiosity nagged at him.

“Well, I thought you were drowning! Was I just supposed to sit and watch?”

“Your life is worth much more than mine. I don’t understand why-”

“Nope.” Sonic stated, matter-of-factly. “Quit doing that. Nobody is worth more than anyone else.”

Lancelot was at a loss for words. He rejected the notion that a knight and his king could ever be of equal power, but he knew Sonic would never accept the obvious truth. From the moment he first met the blue fool, he’d been blaspheming that which had always been fact. His world may have been different, but things had always been this way here.

Yet… He was king, and a king’s word was law.

What an odd situation. Lancelot decided to remain quiet as they continued walking.

“How do you breathe underwater?” Sonic asked again, trying to make conversation.

“My mother blessed me as a child. Now the water is kind to me.”

“Your mom, huh? Nimue, right?”

_ “-Lady  _ Nimue, to you.”

“Right, right. Sorry. Lady Nimue.” He seemed to think for a moment.

“...Yes, she is my mother.” He didn’t elaborate any further, though he was nearly certain that the nosy king would ask more about him.

“So, like… Who’s your dad? Er, father?”

Lancelot flipped up his visor to glare at Sonic, “I don’t ask you about your past! Why do you insist on asking about mine?”

Sonic held his hands up and backed off. “Woah, sorry. I’m sorry. None of my business, I gotcha. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

They walked in silence for several minutes, and that guilty feeling started to creep back up into Lancelot’s chest.

He didn’t know. He shouldn’t have snapped.

Dear God, he’d shouted at the  _ king. _

If Sonic had been more aware of the culture of Camelot, he’d have been chastised. Or much, much worse.

The fact that Sonic didn’t act like a king was impacting the way Lancelot regarded him. That was dangerous.

Or was it? Sonic didn’t care. The only man who could punish him for disrespecting him seemed to  _ prefer  _ being disrespected.

Utter madness.

“...I apologize. I should not have been so crude with my words.”

“It’s cool. Gotta set your boundaries, I get it.” He smiled at the knight. “I’m glad you said it that way, actually. I’m getting real sick of being catered to. Miss being treated like a friend.”

Lancelot blinked.

Sonic was extremely strange, yes, but… In a fascinating way.

“Your world… Is very different from this one, isn’t it?”

“It’s completely different.” He looked into the distance fondly. “We don’t have kings.”

“Well, no wonder you don’t know how a king should act!”

“Yeah, I also don’t care. I’m not gonna change who I am. That’s not how I roll in Mobius  _ or  _ Camelot.”

“...You have a lot of passion, for one who refuses to call himself a knight.”

Sonic chuckled. “Never really liked being called a ‘hero’, either.” He looked to Lancelot. “I just do what I think is right. Doesn’t everyone do that?”

“No,” He shocked himself with his response. To disagree with a king! He must be as deranged as the new sovereign. “There are many evil people in this world. They ignore what is right for their own benefit.” It was his turn to look at Sonic, their eyes meeting. “It is heroic to always do what you believe to truly be right. It’s not always easy.”

Sonic smirked. “Yeah, you’re right. But I think it’s worth it. And most of the time, it  _ is  _ easy, at least for me. Maybe that’s why I don’t see myself as a hero. I just feel like I’m doing the bare minimum.”

“As one of the many people you have saved, Sonic, you have done much more than that. You deserve the praise you receive.” Sonic’s smirk evolved into a weaker, but genuine, smile.

“Right back at you. You and the others helped, too. I can’t take all the credit.”

“...In this world,” he prefaced his response, “Everything the Knights of the Round Table do is in the name of their king. In a manner of speaking, you  _ can  _ take all of the credit.”

“I don’t want it, Lance. You deserve it. You guys should be proud of the stuff you do.”

Lancelot was taken aback. “We  _ are  _ proud. Knights are some of the most prideful people you will meet.”

“But you’re constantly handing over your victories to some king who doesn’t even do anything! Selling your freedom and dignity, for what?”

The knight shook his head. “You simply don’t understand. Being a knight is the greatest honor one can hope to achieve.”

“Wouldn’t you rather be free?!” Now Sonic was shouting.

Lancelot let him calm down before speaking again.

“Free to do what? Slave away at a craft for the rest of our days? Be on the verge of starvation? I have to feed my son, Sonic. With all due respect, you just don’t understand this world.”

“You… You have a son?” He stopped in his tracks, completely shocked.

Lancelot supposed that he  _ was  _ a bit young to have a son, but the reaction struck him as odd.

“I do. His name is Galahad.”

Sonic had to admit, he had no idea what to say. “How… How old is he?”

“It’s hard to know for sure. He was an orphan. I found him in the castle town.”

“Oh.”

“If I had to guess, I’d say… about ten years of age.”

Sonic hummed before continuing forward in silence, thinking. Just when Lancelot was going to ask what was wrong, he spoke again.

“I found my little brother on a beach. He was probably six.”

The knight listened as Sonic told of how he met Tails, the young fox with a brilliant mind. The way he spoke of his brother reminded him of his feelings towards Galahad. The desire to protect him, the pride in his every accomplishment, and the fear that he may someday get hurt.

“It seems you were his father in all but name.”

“What? No, no. I’m not his dad. We don’t act like father and son, we’re brothers.”

“You raised him, did you not?”

“I did my best, but I was just a kid, too. We raised each other.”

“Ah, I see. You must miss him dearly.”

Sonic smiled at him again, but this time was different. His face was tight with barely hidden agony; his breathing intentionally slow so as to keep his composure.

“Of course I miss him.” He masked the pain well enough in his voice, but his eyes betrayed his faux positive demeanor.

Lancelot felt it in his soul. It was the same feeling he’d had towards his mother. The only difference was that his pain was of his own cowardly design, but Sonic may never get to see his brother ever again.

He stopped walking and waited for Sonic to turn to him. Lancelot stepped closer and flipped his visor up, looking him in the eye before he spoke.

“I’m sorry. I understand how you feel.” He tried to pour as much empathy into his voice as possible.

Sonic’s mask broke, and he turned his face away for a moment. He drew in a quick breath before he could face Lancelot again.

“Thanks, Lance.” He kept his gratitude short before twisting back around and pushing forward.

Lancelot was left feeling vulnerable, but unnoticed. He wasn’t sure if Sonic had truly seen how deeply he related to his pain.

He caught up to Sonic, and prepared to admit something he hadn’t admitted to any other living soul.

“My mother found me in the weeds of the lake she lives in. I was an infant.”

That got the king’s attention. He stopped and looked at the knight, listening.

“She took me in. She gave me my name. She raised me. She blessed me.” He paused to swallow the emotions growing thick in his throat. “She gave up everything, and I haven’t seen her in months.”

“...Why not?” Sonic asked quietly.

“I’m… afraid. Afraid that she’ll be upset with me for not seeing her sooner.”

“Lancelot… She’s your mother. She loves you, I’m sure-”

“-I don’t deserve that love! What kind of son am I, who is too cowardly to show his face?! She sacrificed so much for me, and how do I repay her? By hiding away, too ashamed to even apologize!”

Sonic grabbed on to Lancelot’s shoulders, gripping tightly.

“Okay,” he said slowly, “So what are you going to do about it?”

The knight blinked, confused.

Sonic sighed, “Here’s my idea. First thing tomorrow morning, you go see her. You say sorry. You tell her how much you appreciate her.  _ Take action.  _ Or else nothing’s gonna change.”

"But- What of my duties?"

"Forget your stupid duties for a second! You're lucky enough to have a loving mom!" There was fire in Sonic's eyes, the same passion he bore in battle. "Do  _ not  _ let that slip away, Lance. Trust me, you'll regret it until you're dead."

Lancelot was left feeling that Sonic was leaving something out. This wasn't the order of a king. This was personal. Advice from experience, perhaps.

...And yet, the darkest part of his soul still screamed.

"I fear I already have."

Sonic stayed quiet, waiting.

He wasn't sure what possessed him, but he dug deep into the core of his fears. When he spoke, he revealed insecurities he had barely even admitted to himself.

"When I came into her life, I changed everything. My mother sacrificed her freedom for my life. There is nothing I could ever do to repay her."

"You feel like a burden?"

Lancelot winced at the scathing accuracy.

"Is that what you think of Galahad?"

His eyes narrowed with anger.

"My son could  _ never _ be a burden to me! How  _ dare _ you-!"

Sonic laughed. "Well, there you go! It's the same thing, Lance. Why do you think she'd hate you if you would never dream of hating  _ your  _ son? Give her some credit, man!"

Lancelot looked away, thinking.

“She  _ chose  _ to take care of you. I’m willing to bet she’d choose to do it again.”

It was true. Between freedom and Lancelot, Nimue had chosen him.

Nimue was the kindest person he'd ever known. She was also quite prone to anger, but it was always directed at the right people. 

If he went to her, she would see what was in his heart. She always had.

"So what do you think?"

The knight sighed and nervously clutched at the hilt of Arondight.

"...I will visit her on the morrow."

"Good! She'll be glad to see you. Now c'mon, I need to warm up by the fire or something."

Sonic turned on his heel and started climbing the hill towards the castle. Lancelot flipped his visor down and trailed after him.


End file.
